Harrison's Reports (1928-1928)

88 HARRISON’S REPORTS WARNER BROS. AND THEIR NEW PRODUCT I notice that the Warner Bros, insert in the trade papers, announcing their 1928-29 product, is just like the announcement for the 1927-28 products. It offers 18 pictures for sale; but it does not state what these 18 pictures are going to be. Xo stories, stars or directors are given. I hope that you will take this fact into consideration when you make up your mind to buy that product. Oh, yes ! It promises four Extended Run pictures : “Tenderloin,” with Dolores Costello and Conrad Nagel; “Glorious Betsy,” with Dolores Costello and Conrad Nagel ; "The Jazz Singer,” with A1 Jolson, and “The Lion and the Mouse," with May McAvoy and Lionel Barrymore. Now, “Tenderloin" is not a very good picture, in that the hero, as I said in the review, is unsympathetic ; he is a crook. And it is hard for any one to sympathize with a crook. "Glorious Betsy” is a good picture ; with the Vitaphone, it could be classed as Big, although it cannot be put in the two-dollar class. But it is not setting the world afire at the Warner Theatre, this city, where it is now playing. The reason for it is, in my opinion, first, the high admission prices charged for it, and secondly, the fact that it is a costume play. "The Jazz Singer” is a great picture when accompanied by the Vitaphone; it makes A1 Jolson appear as if he were before one in the flesh. The scene where he sings to his mother, sitting in the orchestra, is the greatest combination of talking and moving screen shadows one will see for a long time. But without the “voice,” the picture has fallen flat. “The Lion and the Mouse” is founded on the stage play by Charles Klein. The play was very good. This play was put into pictures once before, by Vitagraph. It was good at that time and it will, no doubt, be good also this time. With the Vitaphone, it ought to make a very, very good entertainment. In my opinion, it is a sure bet, even without the Vitaphone. In reference to the Warners’ 18, I may say that if you want to take a chance at buying a pig in a bag, go to it ; if you want to know what you are buying, then ask Warner Bros, what the stories are going to be, who will be the stars that will appear in them, and who the directors that will direct them. Get this information now so that you may not regret it afterwards ; no one will be able to help you then. A TEMPORARY SUBSTITUTE FOR THE BROOKHART BILL We have tried hard to bring about the passage of the Brookhart Bill during this session of Congress, but we have not been successful. The opposition we met has been stiff. But the bill is not dead ; it is in committee, and in all probabilities Senator Brookrart will not make an attempt to have it reported out until the next session. But you should not get discouraged ; work for it whenever you have an opportunity. Try to influence your women’s clubs and other organizations. The Brookhart Bill would have made blind-booking unlawful, just as it is in Great Britain now; no foreign producer can sell pictures there unless he has made them. Under this bill, you, too, would be given an opportunity to see the pictures before buying them, or at least to receive a report on them from some reliable source. Since you are not able to see, by law, the pictures that you want to buy, why not make it a rule to do so without a law ? The producer-distributors this year are again boosting their ware to the sky limit. Why not make them show you the pictures that they have already made? Make them do it before you buy ; you will at least have a chance to judge the remainder by what the quality of the completed product is. Let them SHOW you! Tell them you are from Missouri. I am writing to all the producer-distributors informing them that I shall be only too glad to review all the pictures from the new product that they have completed. I am willing to devote most of my time in the next eight weeks looking at the new product. If they should be afraid to show it to your representative, why should you take their word for it ? Wait for a report before you buy pictures ! My time is yours ! Let the producer-distributors take advantage of it to prove to you that what they say IS so ! June 2, 1928 POOR BUSINESS IS NO EXCUSE FOR BEING RELIEVED OF THE CONTRACT From time to time I receive letters from exhibitors asking me if, in case they close their theatres down for lack of business, they are obligated to pay for the film left unplayed. The closing down of a theatre for lack of business is no excuse for cancelling either all or part of a contract. Clause 18 of the Standard Contract specifies the causes for which an exhibitor may be relieved either of part or of the whole contract. And poor business is not one of the causes. Most of this kind of letters come to this office just as summer approaches. It has often been a wonder to me why you book pictures in advance for twelve months ! Why not buy only for nine months, and, when the summer approaches, you may buy whatever you need for the summer months in case you should decide to keep open during the summer? A plan such as this should prove of the greatest benefit for two reasons: If you should decide to close down, you would not be burdened with contracts which you must carry out when you reopen, thus playing stale pictures ; in case you should decide to remain open, you would then be able to buy pictures at a price commensurate with the possible summer business. I have always advocated the closing down of theatres during July and August. Such a policy is beneficial for many reasons. It gives you an opportunity : to clean and redecorate your theatre, thus causing an impression of prosperity ; to select a ten-month program out of twelvemonth offerings ; to rest ; it gives your customers an opportunity to rest, so that, when you reopen, they come to jour theatre "hungrier” than ever. Try it ! Do not be influenced by the fact that your competitor may keep open. Keep on your newspaper advertisements during the shut-down period, so that you may continue to keep in touch with your custom, and I am sure that, when you reopen, they will all come back to you to a man. FOX OVERSTATEMENT In the Fox 1928-29 announcement, which has just appeared in the trade papers, two pages are devoted to the six pictures, “Street Angel,” “Four Sons,” “Mother Machree,” "Sunrise,” “Mother Knows Best,” and “The Red Dance,” in a combined advertisement. The following line is contained in the one page : "Big Broadway Hits.” What are the facts? “The Red Dance” and “Mother Knows Best” have not yet been shown on Broadway ; so a statement such as this is not representing the facts correctly. Of the others, “Sunrise” has not made a hit ; it is a firstclass big production, well enough, but in its 28 weeks it lost money at the Times Square Theatre, where it played. “Mother Machree” was withdrawn from the Globe, in order to make room for the “Street Angel,” and put in the Times Square. It is not making what one would call a hit to entitle it to be classified as a “Broadway Hit.” Perhaps the fault lies in the theatre, for the picture is the best mother-love story that has ever been filmed ; perhaps it is another reason. The fact remains, however, that it is not making a hit, in the sense that “The Big Parade,” “What Price Glory,” “Seventh Heaven,” “The Ten Commandments,” and “The Covered Wagon” made. “Four Sons” is standing up only fairly well at the Gaiety ; it is not setting the world afire. “Street Angel” is making a good Broadway hit. Fox has one picture that he has not told you very much about it yet : "Fazil.” I am predicting that this picture will make a great hit, unless it is “muffed” in the handling, a thing which I doubt; it will stand quite a little “rough” handling. Now, if they had made overstatements about this picture, HARRISON'S REPORTS would have forgiven them ; it deserves anything that may be said about it. I want to be fair towards Fox just as I want to be towards every other producer-distributor. But it is necessary for Fox to be fair with you, too. And telling you that “Sunrise” and “Mother Machree” have been Broadway hits, and that “The Red Dancer” and “Mother Knows Best” have been shown on Broadway and have made a hit, when they have not yet been shown there, it is not treating j-ou fairly. (“Mother Knows Best” has not even been made yet.) Another article on “ Talking Pictures ” will be printed in these columns next week.